The following is the full text of the speech delivered on September 30, 2015 by Ayatollah Khamenei, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, at the graduation ceremony of armed forces cadets held at Imam Khomeini Naval Academy in Noshahr.
In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
I would like to congratulate you dear youth. May God willing, the reward of your successful education in the academies of the Islamic Republic of Iran Army - which is the glorious rank of being an officer in the army of the Imam of the Age (a.s.) - be auspicious and blessed for all of you. I also congratulate the dear youth who received their epaulets and who entered this path. Today, the young faces of our officers in the Islamic Republic of Iran Army, in the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps and in the entire Armed Forces are a sign of the young spirit and the promising future of the Islamic Republic.
Eid turned into mourning
These days are marked by Eid al-Adha and Eid al-Ghadir, but today's jahilis have turned our Eid into mourning with the bloody events of Mina. I hope that Allah the Exalted will accept these sacrifices and offerings from the people of Iran and other Muslim nations and that the horizons before the Islamic Ummah will - God willing - become brighter on a daily basis.
There are many things to say about you dear youth who have entered the arena of action in the Islamic Republic of Iran Army. In short, some of the outstanding characteristics of an armed force are faith, courage and knowledge. These three elements are among the most important elements in forming the identity of an armed force.
If there is no courage, an armed force will not carry out its duties when there is a danger- it will not be able to do so. If there is no faith, an armed force will tend to oppress the weak. As you can see, the users of modern military tools - who are not exposed to any danger themselves - fly a plane and bombard the defenseless people of Yemen- markets, mosques, wedding and mourning ceremonies and places of business in that country.
When there is no spirit of faith and when there is no thinking about God, then it does not make any difference on whom one showers his bloody and lethal weapons and against whom one fights. In the arena of danger - when one's existence and identity show themselves - they are absent, but they show courage in the face of the oppressed, the defenseless and the weaponless. They are absent in those places where they should show their power, but they show off their courage - with planes, missiles and other lethal weapons - in those places where the other side are defenseless people.
This is the reason why we are opposed to weapons of mass destruction such as atomic and chemical weapons. The reason is that such weapons do not differentiate between anyone.
This is the reason why we are opposed to weapons of mass destruction such as atomic and chemical weapons. The reason is that such weapons do not differentiate between anyone. It is well-known that during wars, the Commander of the Faithful (peace and greetings be upon him) even considered the future of the other side. It was only then that he would thrust his sword. He used to do this in a calculated way.
When there is no faith, this will be the case. When there is no courage, this will be the case. When there is no knowledge, the tools that are available to us will become blunt against the tools available to the shaitans. So, all these tools are necessary.
You are young, you are the apples of our eyes, you are dear to us and the future and this country belongs to you. Therefore, you should strengthen these main elements in yourselves. You should strengthen your faith, your courage, your creativeness in the area of research and your inclination to acquire and seek knowledge. This Army belongs to you. In a short time, you will be the helmsmen of this great organization, each of you in a specific division and area.
The report that the honorable commander of this university - today, he was the commander of the field as well - delivered was a good report. I have reports from other sources as well. The six academies of the Islamic Republic of Iran Army have fortunately carried out good tasks. They have completed successful activities which satisfy us. However, you should not be satisfied at all. With an inquisitive, exact and critical look, you - I am addressing the honorable officials in the Islamic Republic of Iran Army - should identity problems and shortcomings and you should make this university reach an ideal and perfect level. You should equip - as much as you can - the dear students who are studying at this university and who are preparing themselves for the future with faith, spirituality, knowledge and lofty spirits.
The hard and the soft wars
the people of Iran have shown during the nearly four decades that have passed from the Revolution that they are strong and powerful, that they have identity, nobility and essence and that they resist.
Today, the Islamic Republic of Iran needs tools for both hard and soft wars. The kind of world which is condemned by the power of shaitans and the kind of world which is headed by those for whom materialism, money and material welfare is the main principle- is a dangerous world for God-seeking individuals. They should prepare and equip themselves. If the Islamic Republic of Iran and the courageous and revolutionary people of Iran had allowed usurping powers in the world to dissolve them into themselves and their systems - in other words, if they had decided not to show and attach significance to their main core, identity and entity - they would not have been exposed to enmities. Oppressors and bullies want followers. If somebody does not follow them, this will be the beginning of their enmity. Therefore, one should be prepared.
The preparedness of you Armed Forces - including the Islamic Republic of Iran Army, the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps, Basij and other Armed Forces - does not only mean victory in the battle against the enemy. It also means ensuring the immunity of the country from the evil intentions of the enemies. When you are ready, when you are equipped with faith and knowledge and when you are prepared to make sacrifices, the enemy will not dare take a step towards you with malevolent intentions. Of course, they issue threats and they make certain statements, but the people of Iran have shown during the nearly four decades that have passed from the Revolution that they are strong and powerful, that they have identity, nobility and essence and that they resist. One example was the eight-year Sacred Defense Era.
My dear youth, you should definitely hear about the events of the Sacred Defense Era from veterans and your predecessors. You should go and see the war zones of those days. You should pay careful attention, from a military perspective, to operational plans and the courageous and self-sacrificing feats that were accomplished. You should see what happened. During the Sacred Defense Era, the people of Iran achieved an eternal reputation. So, the power of the Armed Forces plays a preventative role as well.
Today, big capitalists, big companies and world-devouring and power-hungry individuals are bullying and ruling over world politics by equipping themselves with knowledge and propaganda apparatuses. Any independent nation who wants to stand up against them will become the target of their enmity. Some countries stand up against them, some stand up to a small extent, some endure and some lose their endurance in the end.
Islamic Iran showed that it is enduring, wise and insightful and that it shows respect towards its identity and respect towards humanity. Resisting arrogance is showing respect towards humanity and towards all nations and all humans. Of course, they show their teeth, but the firm fists of faithful individuals can make them retreat. This has always been the case and it will be the case from now on as well.
The massacre of Mina
I would like to say a few things about the events of Mina. This event was tragic and grievous for us for two reasons: one is that several hundred pilgrims of ours left this world while they were innocent. Perhaps, many of them were thirsty at the moment of their demise. Their family members were happy that their dear ones would return from the Hajj and they had opened their arms to receive them, but now they have to receive their bodies. This is great grief. The number of the deceased is not clear to us yet. It may reach several hundred. This is the first reason and the people are truly mournful, in the real sense of the word, because of this incident.
The second reason is that it was a tragedy for the world of Islam. According to the reports that have been delivered to us, more than five thousand people from the entire world of Islam and from different countries lost their lives. Hajj is a place of safety: "Remember We made the House a place of assembly for men and a place of safety" [The Holy Quran, 2: 125]. The Holy Quran says to us that God has made the House of Ka'bah a place of assembly for the Islamic Ummah and a place of safety. It should be safe- but what safety? Is reaching out the hand of oppression against the lives of individuals during the hajj rituals safety?
Investigations should be carried out in this regard. I do not want to make prejudgments about the causes of this incident, but certain individuals from the entire world of Islam - including our country - should go there and carry out investigations up close. They should clarify the causes of this incident. There is no discussion about this.
The issue is about the responsibilities that any government, nation, physician, nurse and spiritually and ethically healthy individual, has towards an injured person. They did not carry out their duties. In hospitals, cold containers and deserts, they did not attend to patients and to weak and thirsty individuals the way they should have.
the officials of Saudi Arabia are not carrying out their duties, rather in some cases, their actions are completely contrary to their duties. They behave in an underhanded and deceitful manner.
Today too, there are certain problems with transferring their pure bodies to the country. The officials of our country are pursuing the matter. They have adopted certain measures and they have worked on it and they are trying hard. These measures and activities should continue, but the officials of Saudi Arabia are not carrying out their duties, rather in some cases, their actions are completely contrary to their duties. They behave in an underhanded and deceitful manner.
If our country and people want to react to nuisances and underhanded elements, this will not be good for them. We have shown self-control until today. We have shown self-control in different events. The hands of Islamic Iran are more spread-out than many countries. Our capabilities and resources are more than many others. They know that if they want to challenge the Islamic Republic, they cannot achieve victory on any scene. We are showing considerations because of Islamic ethics and because of brotherhood towards the Islamic Ummah, but we can respond. If we decide to respond, our responses will be fierce and harsh.
They have tested the people of Iran. In the event of the eight-year war, all of them - the surrounding countries - and all powers in the east and west supported and defended a malevolent and corrupt element and all of them were slapped across the face. That corrupt element himself received a slap across the face and similarly, all those people who supported him were slapped across the face. They came to know Iran. And if they have not yet known it, they should!
Today, tens of thousands of our dear ones are still in Makah and Madina, performing their hajj obligations. The least disrespect towards them will produce a response. Their failure to carry out their duties towards the pure bodies of our deceased in the Hajj will produce a response. They should take care to carry out their duties.
The Islamic Republic does not oppress and does not accept oppression.
Of course, even if they do so, the matter will not be over. These incidents should be pursued. The Islamic Republic does not oppress and does not accept oppression. We do not oppress anyone and we do not allow anyone to oppress us. We believe that all humans - whether Muslims or non-Muslims - have certain rights and we will not transgress those rights, but if someone wants to transgress the rights of the people of Iran and the Islamic Republic of Iran, we know how to behave towards them. We will behave towards them in a firm way. Thankfully, the capability to do so exists. The Iranian nation is a powerful nation. The Islamic Republic is an everlasting and well-established power and we can defend ourselves.
Dear youth, you should know that the arena of dignity, greatness and Islamic and Iranian identity is an arena that requires courage, sacrifice, knowledge and deep faith. You should prepare yourselves. All youth are addressed by this statement, but in one sense, you dear youth of ours in the Armed Forces are addressed more than others. You should prepare yourselves. You should be a refuge in the real sense of the word, as was pointed out in the poem that was recited. You pointed out that the Armed Forces are a refuge, a wall and a fortification for the country and the people. You should be a fortification for the country in the real sense of the word.
Dear God, shower Your mercy, Your guidance and Your kindness on all the people of Iran, on all our youth, on these dear youth and on all the Armed Forces.
Greetings be upon you and Allah's mercy and blessings